VT Halter Marine and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College have developed an apprenticeship program, the company announced on Monday. The Mississippi Department of Labor (DoL) approved the apprenticeship program on Friday, March 6th.
“The partnership with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to create this apprenticeship program is critical to develop our future workforce here at VT Halter Marine,” said Tom Vecchiolla, president and CEO of ST Engineering North America and 2016 Wash100 Award recipient.
The program is set to launch in August 2020. The program will offer training in the craft labor fields of welding, ship fitting, pipe fitting, pipe welding and electrical. Additionally, the apprenticeship will be designed in three modules: on-the-job training, classroom training and a progressive wage increase as participants reach set milestones.
“I also want to recognize and congratulate the apprentices selected for this most important program and look forward to their success,” added Vecchiolla. Apprentices will be assigned to VT Halter Marine employee mentors to guide them throughout the program.
“Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally recognized credential.” the DoL stated.
In addition to the partner program with the college, VT Halter Marine has partnered with the city of Pensacola in Florida to bring 1.7K aircraft maintenance jobs to the region in Feb. 2020. The company has a paid educational program for student mechanics and previously offered aviation maintenance positions to George Stone Technical College students upon their graduation in May 2020.
About VT Halter Marine
VT Halter Marine, Inc. is a shipbuilding company and a subsidiary of VT Systems, the American subsidiary of ST Engineering. It is located in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It specializes in ship design, construction, and repair, and serves both public and private clients, including the United States Department of Defense.
